Career and Education Opportunities for Early Childhood Development Managers in Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas provides a wide variety of opportunities, both career and educational, for early childhood development managers. The national trend for early childhood development managers sees this job pool growing by about 11.8% over the next eight years. In general, early childhood development managers plan, direct, or coordinate the academic and nonacademic activities of preschool and child care centers or programs.

Income for early childhood development managers is about $18 per hour or $38,370 yearly on average in Kansas. Nationally, their income is about $19 hourly or $39,940 per year. Earnings for early childhood development managers are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Education and Training in Kansas and not quite as good as general Education and Training category earnings nationally. Early childhood development managers work in a variety of jobs, including: education site manager, director, and administrator.

There are three schools within twenty-five miles of Wichita where you can study to be an early childhood development manager, among nineteen schools of higher education total in the Wichita area. The most common level of education for early childhood development managers is a Bachelor's degree. It will take about four years to learn to be an early childhood development manager if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Early Childhood Development Manager

In general, early childhood development managers plan, direct, or coordinate the academic and nonacademic activities of preschool and child care centers or programs.

Early childhood development managers talk with parents and staff to consider educational efforts and policies, and students' behavioral or learning problems. They also set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and programs to carry them out. Equally important, early childhood development managers have to ready and maintain attendance, activity or personnel reports and records for officials and agencies, or direct preparation and maintenance efforts. They are often called upon to recruit and evaluate primary and supplemental staff, and recommend personnel actions for programs and services. They are expected to formulate and monitor instructional methods and content of educational or student activity programs. Finally, early childhood development managers inspect and evaluate new and current programs to establish their efficiency and adherence to state and federal regulations, and recommend any needed modifications.

Every day, early childhood development managers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they evaluate problems as they arise.

It is important for early childhood development managers to inform businesses and governmental agencies about educational needs and program policies. They are often called upon to ready and submit budget requests or grant proposals to solicit program funding. They also collect and analyze survey data and demographic and employment trends, to forecast enrollment patterns and the need for curriculum changes. They are sometimes expected to organize and direct committees of specialists and staff to furnish technical and advisory assistance for programs. Somewhat less frequently, early childhood development managers are also expected to write articles and other publications, and help in the distribution of promotional literature about programs and facilities.

Early childhood development managers sometimes are asked to direct and schedule efforts of teachers or administrators at daycare centers or institutions. And finally, they sometimes have to collect and analyze survey data and demographic and employment trends, to forecast enrollment patterns and the need for curriculum changes.

Like many other jobs, early childhood development managers must be reliable and believe in an agile approach to problem solving and deal with change.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Wichita include:

Academic Director. Plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, and junior and community colleges.

Educational Program Director. Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, clerical, or auxiliary activities of public or private elementary or secondary level schools.

Social Service Coordinator. Plan, organize, or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization's budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements, and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors, or probation officers.

Friends University, 2100 W. University Ave., Wichita, KS 67213. Friends University is a small university located in Wichita, Kansas. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,801 students and an admission rate of 70%. Friends University has a master's degree program in Educational Administration and Supervision, Other Specialties which graduated eighteen students in 2008.

Wichita State University - Wichita, KS

Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0124. Wichita State University is a large university located in Wichita, Kansas. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 14,405 students and an admission rate of 86%. Wichita State University has a master's degree and a doctor's degree program in Educational Leadership and Administration which graduated twelve and six students respectively in 2008.

Newman University - Wichita, KS

Newman University, 3100 McCormick Ave, Wichita, KS 67213-2097. Newman University is a small university located in Wichita, Kansas. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,435 students and an admission rate of 49%. Newman University has a master's degree program in Educational Leadership and Administration which graduated thirteen students in 2008.

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LOCATION INFORMATION: Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas photo by Pacoperez6

Wichita is located in Sedgwick County, Kansas. It has a population of over 366,046, which has grown by 6.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Wichita, 78, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Wichita cost $106,900 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, 1,012 new homes were constructed in Wichita, down from 1,248 the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Wichita are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is transportation equipment, construction, and health care. The average travel time to work is about 18 minutes. More than 25.3% of Wichita residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 8.1%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Wichita is 8.8%, which is greater than Kansas's average of 6.3%.

The percentage of Wichita residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 46.7%, is less than both the national and state average. Mizpah Baptist Church, Christ the King Lutheran Church and Christ the King Roman Catholic Church are some of the churches located in Wichita. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church.

Wichita is home to the Pleasant Valley and the Wichita Plaza as well as Hyde Park and Watson Park. Shopping centers in the area include Central Heights Shopping Mall, Airpark Shopping Center and Sweetbriar Shopping Center. Visitors to Wichita can choose from Afton Motel, Hampton Inn Wichita-East and Corral Motel for temporary stays in the area.